Humulus lupulus L. Extract Protects against Senior Osteoporosis through Inhibiting Amyloid ß Deposition and Oxidative Stress in APP/PS1 Mutated Transgenic Mice and Osteoblasts

As aging progresses, ß-amyloid (Aß) deposition and the resulting oxidative damage are key causes of aging diseases such as senior osteoporosis (SOP). Humulus lupulus L. (hops) is an important medicinal plant widely used in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries due to its strong antioxidant ability. In this study, APP/PS1 mutated transgenic mice and Aß-injured osteoblasts were used to evaluate the protective effects of hops extracts (HLE) on SOP. Mice learning and memory levels were assessed by the Morris water maze. Mice femurs were prepared for bone micro-structures and immunohistochemistry experiments. The deposition of Aß in the hippocampus, cortex and femurs were determined by Congo red staining. Moreover, protein expressions related to antioxidant pathways were evaluated by Western blotting. It was found that HLE markedly improved learning abilities and ameliorated memory impairment of APP/PS1 mice, as well as regulated antioxidant enzymes and bone metabolism proteins in mice serum. Micro-CT tests indicated that HLE enhanced BMD and improved micro-architectural parameters of mice femur. More importantly, it was discovered that HLE significantly reduced Aß deposition both in the brain and femur. Further in vitro results showed HLE increased the bone mineralization nodule and reduced the ROS level of Aß-injured osteoblasts. Additionally, HLE increased the expression of antioxidant related proteins Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, FoxO1 and SOD-2. These results indicated that Humulus lupulus L. extract could protect against senior osteoporosis through inhibiting Aß deposition and oxidative stress, which provides a reference for the clinical application of hops in the prevention and treatment of SOP.

Measurement of Foveal Retinal Thickness in Myopic Patients Using Different Display Modes on Optical Coherence Tomography: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this work is to investigate the differences in the measurement of foveal retinal thickness in myopic patients between two display modes (1:1 pixel and 1:1 micron) on optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: Horizontal OCT line scan through the central fovea was used for manual measurement of foveal retinal thickness under the two display modes, and the values were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Correlations between the OCT image tilting angle (OCT ITA) and differences in OCT measurement were analyzed by Spearman's test. RESULTS: 127 participants with a median age of 28 years, a median spherical equivalent (SE) of - 8.5 D, and a median axial length (AL) of 27.04 mm. There were significant differences between the two display modes, with a median absolute difference (median relative difference) of 13.33 µm (2.75%) for the central foveal thickness (CFT), 5.33 µm (1.28%) for the Henle fiber and outer nuclear layer thickness (HFL + ONL), 3 µm (6.47%) for the external limiting membrane to ellipsoid zone distance (ELM-EZ), and 4 µm (8.77%) for the ellipsoid zone to retinal pigment epithelium distance (EZ-RPE) (all p < 0.05). The differences in foveal retinal thickness between the two display modes were significantly correlated with the OCT ITA (r = 0.732 for CFT, 0.561 for HFL + ONL, 0.642 for ELM-EZ, and 0.471 for EZ-RPE, all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Disparities between the two display modes were found in the manual measurement of foveal retinal thickness and correlated to the OCT ITA.

Distribution of White-to-White Corneal Diameter and Anterior Chamber Depth in Chinese Myopic Patients.

Purpose: To investigate the distribution of white-to-white (WTW) corneal diameter and anterior chamber depth (ACD) in Chinese myopia patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at five ophthalmic centers. Anterior segment biometry was performed in 7,893 eyes of the 7,893 myopic patients using Pentacam, and the WTW and ACD were recorded. The distribution patterns of WTW and ACD were evaluated and the correlation between WTW and ACD was analyzed statistically. Results: There were 4416 (55.95%) males and 3477 (44.05%) females. The age of the study population was 25.14 ± 5.41 years. Distribution of WTW was slightly positively skewed (Skewness = 0.0076, Kurtosis = 0.3944, KS P = 0.020) with a mean of 11.65 ± 0.38 mm and a 95% normal range of 10.91-12.39 mm. A significant difference in WTW was found among different myopia groups (P < 0.001). The ACD was normally distributed (Skewness = 0.899, Kurtosis = 0.027, KS P = 0.086). The mean ACD was 3.25 ± 0.26 mm and the 95% normal range of was 2.74-3.75 mm. A significant difference in ACD was also found among different myopia groups (P = 0.030). There was a significant correlation between WTW and ACD (r = 0.460, P < 0.001). Conclusions: In our study, 95% of the Chinese myopic patients had a WTW within 10.91-12.39 mm and an ACD within 2.74-3.75 mm. ACD and WTW were significantly different among different myopia, gender and age groups. WTW was positively correlated with ACD.

Xanthohumol ameliorates memory impairment and reduces the deposition of ß-amyloid in APP/PS1 mice via regulating the mTOR/LC3II and Bax/Bcl-2 signalling pathways.

OBJECTIVES: Xanthohumol (XAN) is a unique component of Humulus lupulus L. and is known for its diverse biological activities. In this study, we investigated whether Xanthohumol could ameliorate memory impairment of APP/PS1 mice, and explored its potential mechanism of action. METHODS: APP/PS1 mice were used for in vivo test and were treated with N-acetylcysteine and Xanthohumol for 2 months. Learning and memory levels were evaluated by the Morris water maze. Inflammatory and oxidative markers in serum and hippocampus and the deposition of Aß in the hippocampus were determined. Moreover, the expression of autophagy and apoptosis proteins was also evaluated by western blot. KEY FINDINGS: Xanthohumol significantly reduced the latency and increased the residence time of mice in the target quadrant. Additionally, Xanthohumol increased superoxide dismutase level and reduced Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-1ß levels both in serum and hippocampus. Xanthohumol also significantly reduced Aß deposition in the hippocampus and activated autophagy and anti-apoptotic signals. CONCLUSIONS: Xanthohumol effectively ameliorates memory impairment of APP/PS1 mice by activating mTOR/LC3 and Bax/Bcl-2 signalling pathways, which provides new insight into the neuroprotective effects of Xanthohumol.

A multicenter study of interocular symmetry of corneal biometrics in Chinese myopic patients.

It is essential to know the normal range of the interocular symmetry of the cornea (ISC) for keratoconus diagnosis and corneal substitutes design. In the present study we investigated the interocular symmetry of corneal biometrics in 6,644 Chinese myopic patients from multiple ophthalmic centers. Corneal biometrics of both eyes were exported from the Pentacam instrument. Interocular symmetry of the corneal biometrics was analyzed by Spearman's correlation test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis and Bland-Altman plot. Significantly strong interocular correlations were found in anterior and posterior corneal curvatures, corneal diameter, corneal thickness, corneal volume, corneal eccentricity, and corneal asphericity (r = 0.87-0.98, all P < 0.001). Moderate interocular correlations were observed in whole corneal astigmatism (r = 0.78) and posterior corneal astigmatism (r = 0.73). ICC between the right and left eyes was 0.94-0.98 for anterior and posterior corneal curvatures, corneal diameter, corneal thickness and corneal volume, 0.80-0.88 for corneal eccentricity and asphericity, and 0.73-0.79 for corneal astigmatism (all P < 0.001). Bland-Altman plot showed that the 95% limit of agreement between both eyes was narrow and symmetric in most of the corneal biometrics, suggesting strong interocular agreements in these corneal biometrics. In conclusion, significant interocular symmetry of corneal biometrics is observed in Chinese myopia patients. Extra attention should be paid to patients with interocular corneal asymmetry.